Three reasons why the Detroit Lions have 'real' hope this year

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Darrell: We've all been down this 'high expectation' road with this team in the past - at least the old timers - so what do you think? Is there really reason for hope THIS year, or is it SOL (same old Lions) again? Also, your thoughts about Jordan Dizon's chances please?

Tom Kowalski: The three biggest reasons for real hope for long-suffering Lions' fans are general manager Martin Mayhew, head coach Jim Schwartz and quarterback Matthew Stafford. Put them in any order you want, but it takes strong leadership and production in all three areas to get the job done. It's still early, but these guys appear to have the right stuff.

Having said that, let me throw a little cold water on these high expectations. There's a big difference between being a very good team and a championship team. It's one thing to get a team from 0-16 to the playoffs in a couple of years, but it's a far greater hurdle to get that team to a Super Bowl victory. These guys definitely have the Lions pointed in the right direction ... but how far can they go?

Yes, first things first, I get it.

(About Dizon, he just doesn't fit into the team's plans. Great kid, bad fit - odds stacked against him.)

Paul: In the whole lockout process so far, I have not seen the Fords mentioned at all. This isn't that much of a surprise, but I still wonder: Has WCF Sr. ever had any involvement in the NFL labor process? Obviously he's not an active member of any of the owner committees, but does anyone even know where he stands as far as his opinion of things? Is he a hardliner? Is he in favor of compromise? Or is he just along for the ride and basically a silent partner in the whole thing? Will he even be present at the July 21 meeting, or will he send a representative, and if so, who?

Tom Kowalski: I don't think William Clay Ford could be considered a hard-liner, but he certainly wants the best possible business model (who wouldn't?). I don't see the Lions bucking the trend - at either end of the spectrum. My understanding is that Detroit's representation on the labor scene has been split between Bill Ford Jr. and president Tom Lewand.

Joshua: What are your thoughts on Gun and Schwartz working in a lot more of the 5-2 formation this season? Seeing KVB, Williams/Hill, Suh, Fairley, and Lo-Jack/Avril all lined up would be more than just intimidating on "rushing downs"?

Tom Kowalski: In this pass-happy era of the NFL, there aren't any "rushing downs'' anymore. You have to defend the pass in almost every situation so a 5-2 wouldn't make much sense - I wonder how many colleges even use it anymore. The Lions won't be "wasting'' their talent on the line because they plan on rotating them to get the best and freshest players on the field at all times.

Ryan: You mentioned the potential of Lawrence Jackson. You also said Carpenter or Palmer would fill ONE of the OLB spots. I asked Jackson on twitter how he would feel about playing OLB on occasion just to see the field more. he responded "I would enjoy that". What would you think if the Lions tried him out there, being so deep on the line and thin at linebacker?

Tom Kowalski: I'm sure he would enjoy that, I'm not sure that Gunther Cunningham would. Look, with the zone blitzes that are run in the league, defensive ends often drop into short zone coverages and "play'' linebacker. Jackson has the athleticism and skill to do that. As far as playing outside linebacker on a consistent basis, I just don't see it at this point.

Logan: What do the Lions plan to do with guys such as Bryant Johnson, Derrick Williams, Aaron Brown, and Drew Stanton?

Tom Kowalski: Johnson and Williams will likely be battling for that No. 4 receiver position - between Titus Young at No. 3 and Stefan Logan at No. 5. Aaron Brown doesn't seem to fit into their plans is a longshot to make the roster. Drew Stanton, who will likely be an unrestricted free agent, will be the team's No. 3 quarterback if he stays in Detroit.